Spring Weekend at Stony Point

Come join us to sing, dance, and play at Stony Point Center, a lovely 32-acre conference site nestled in the scenic and historic Hudson River Valley. 

When
Friday, April 5-7, 2024

Where
Stony Point Conference Center, Stony Point, NY

Line dancing | Improv | Song swap
Active games | Spring craft | Table games
 

Group fun at Camp Onas

Recent in-person Events

Winter Adventure 2023

December 27, 2023 to January 1, 2024

More than ninety people came together for four days of games, dancing, singing, improv, and more. Winter Adventure at The Y at Watson Woods, Painted Post is a holiday alternative you won’t forget. 

Fun Day in Philly

October 14, 2023

A family-friendly event featuring engaging workshops catered to a wide range of interests and a potluck dinner.

* Musical Games with Julie Lipson
* International Folk Dance with Lee Friedman
* Crafts with Kay Gering
* Harmonies and Rounds with John Krumm

Plus two programs for all with games, dancing, and more!!

Coordinated by Arnie Zacharias and Sharon Underberg

ECRS Summer Weekend at Camp Onas 2023

June 9-11, 2023

The last time we were at Camp Onas was 2019!! That memorable weekend featured our young (or young adult, really) leaders. Covid threw a monkey wrench in the usual ECRS offerings, but Camp Onas was on the calendar for 2023!

Back by popular demand, newcomers and ECRS veterans alike enjoyed the chance to focus on a theme in daytime classes – whether dancing, singing, informal dramatics, crafts, or games. Then at Evening Program, everyone came together as a community to dance, sing, play games, and socialize over snacks. The campfire program included s’more and singing, fun in the pool, as well as the usual ECRS fun.

Stony Point 2023


March 24 – 26, 2023
More than 35 of us came together to sing, dance, and play at Stony Point Center, a lovely 32-acre conference site nestled in the scenic and historic Hudson River Valley. 

Line dancing | Improv | Song swap | Active games | Welcome Spring craft | Table games

Winter Adventure 2022


December 27, 2022 to January 1, 2023
After a three-year haiatus, we returned to Watson Woods YMCA (formerly Watson Homestead) for four days and five evenings of community and connection. Together we danced, sang, crafted and improvised. It was truly a joyful and meaningful way to ring in the new year with friends old and new.

ECRS Winter Adventure is a creative and joyous alternative holiday experience. There’s nothing tedious or tiresome here. Young and old will be thoroughly engaged in four days filled with a diverse array of classes (improv to introspection, crafts to collaborating games, and much more!).

Each evening, we gather together as a group to enjoy a mix of activities for all ages: games. dancing, music-making, informal dramatics, sing-alongs, and good conversation. After an evening snack, there are a variety of “late night activities.” Not a fan of typical New Year’s Eve parties? Celebrate the uniquely ECRS way, with enough warmth, light, and fun to last through next year

 

 Summer 2022 – June Weekend

June 10-12, 2022 at Murray Grove
After a pandemic pause, we returned to a new location for our annual fun-in-the-sun spring/summer weekend. We danced and sang and played, reveling in each other’s company and nice summer wether while we welcomed many new leaders and participants.

 

Virtual Events

When Covid lockdown struck the world in March 2020, we initially wondered how ECRS could ever recreate the community and connection people craved in a world where in-person events weren’t possible. After cancelling our Spring 2020 event, the board and planning committee pivoted to figuring out how to generate some of the ECRS magic on Zoom.

Spring 2022 – Dance Around the World (in the Privacy of Your Own Home) 

March 6, 2022
Patricia Williams led a variety of dances from around the world, each chosen to move us in body, mind, and spirit. Great music, great exercise, great fun,!

 


Testimonials from previous ECRS Virtual events

 

“Loved it!!”

“This was SO much fun but WAY too short.”

“Jacquie was very well organized. Worked quite well on Zoom.”

– Winter 2020 Virtual Connections (Jacquie Adain’s Song and Joke Swap)

“Loved all of it!”[Patricia’s] got it down. Good lighting, good instruction, good repertoire.”

“As always, Patricia is a great instructor and she puts together a great program. Very impressed by her adaptations for Zoom.”

– Winter 2020 Virtual Connections (speaking about
Dances from the World to You with Patricia Williams)

I am pretty sure we had absolutely the best New Year’s Eve (and week!) of anyone we know. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

– Winter 2020 Virtual Connections

“From the opening activities to closing it was engaging and fun – in both expected and some delightfully unexpected ways.”

– Virtual Fall Fest 2020

I thought that the breakout rooms worked in [Small Scenes]. I worked well with my partner in the room. Also, it was really helpful that Glenn popped into our room for support.

– Virtual Onas 2020

“Being with my ECRS friends – having fun and being able to dance and laugh  – was intimate, somehow – very special”

– Virtual Fall Fest 2020

“I loved seeing so many old and new faces, and coming back to the community that is “home” to me!”

– Virtual Onas 2020

Summer 2021 – June Zoom Weekend

June 11-13, 2021
Participants to this (perhaps our final big virtual event) could choose from sixteen classes, from arts and crafts to yoga. See full class details here.

 

Spring 2021 May Virtual – Song and Joke Swap with Jacquie Adain


May 15, 2021 4:00 – 7:15 pm
The strangely weird world of “singing together” on Zoom.

 

Spring 2021 April Virtual – Dances from the World to You with Patricia Williams


April 18, 2021 4:00 – 6:15 pm
Fun and easy to learn dances that work well on Zoom!

 

Spring 2021 March Virtual – Play and Improv with Howard Moody


March 13, 2021 7:00 – 9:15 pm
Howard Moody led almost thirty ECRSers in an energetic hour and a half of games and improv.

 

Winter 2020 – Virtual Connections

December 26, 2020 – January 1, 2021
Where: on Zoom! in your living room!

Almost a week of classes and group events to connect, create and play together. More than 100 participants joined us for 28 classes, culminating in a New Year’s Eve program that ended with Late Night Dances long after midnight. See the event page for details.

 

Winter 2020 - Memorial Service

“Poignant memories of Milly (yes, that’s how she spells her name) Redman, Kenneth Wentworth, and Jane Gering shared during our Memorial was a beautiful way to start our event. Quite a few California members woke early to join in. “

– Kay Gering

Meet and Greet Kickoff with Allie Hajian

2020 will be remembered as the year we kept up the ECRS traditions despite a pandemic that meant we couldn’t do what ECRS is known for – get together to sing, dance, act, craft and generally connect and play. We started off our Winter Virtual Connections with refelction for the year behind us and anticipation for the week and the year ahead.

Small Scenes with Isaac and Glenn lebwohl Steiner

Twelve lucky participants got coveted spots in what is likely noe of the most unusual  Small Scenes ever.  Glenn carefully curated these short pairs scenes, and Isaac managed the tech (breakout rooms for practicing and spotlighting for the class performance) to make it run smoothly. 

Body Percussion with Judy Freed

“New to ECRS, Judy Freed’s infectious energy worked our bodies and our brains as she led her Body Percussion class switching through a variety of clapping and stomping rhythms. It sure felt great after sitting in front of the computer for so long”

– Kay Gering

Judy showed us what joyous music you can make with your hands and body! Wanting more? Here are some resources/ways to stay connected to Judy and her work.

Judy Freed, LCSW,   Experiential psychotherapist, performing artist (music, theater, dance)
www.judyfreedhealingarts.com
judy@judyfreedhealingarts.com
(215)701-7013  (voice messages only)

Currently teaching the following classes:

Interested in Judy’s writing? Here is a blog of memoir writings from a few years ago:
freedexpressions.wordpress.com

Interested in Judy’s original music/lyrics? Here is her Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaC7mjxU33PIMCFKLM0qVXQ

B
Laughter Yoga with Betsy Reinstein-Dewey

Did you know laughter not only improves your mood and relieves stress, but boosts your immune system? 

Betsy led the group in easy to do exercises designed to get you to laugh for no reason.  It is for anyone of any age or ability.  All you need is a playful spirit and a willingness to be silly and allow your inherent joyfulness to emerge.  These days more than ever we could all use a good laugh. 

Laughter Yoga with Shimon Birnbaum

Shimon (who taught Howard Moody and Betsy Reinstein-Dewey) stepped in seamlessly when Betsy’s Laughter Yoga class filled up one day after registration opened.

Shimon’s Laughter Yoga focused on acknowledging the grief  of what is present now and celebrating the preciousness of life through laughter, gratitude, and play. 

Shimon’s website is jyfliving.com

Party Games with Trevor the Games Man

Trevor was one of many who were able to return to the ECRS fold because the event was virtual. We loved his interactive, 100% participatory, everybody wins games for everyone. Not online games, but live games to have fun with each other! Brain games! Party games! Even some partner and trio games, too!

Leading Workshops and meetings on Zoom with Kim Neubauer

Neither a workshop about Zoom or about leading. this was a hands-on class about engaging group participants virtually. Participants played with Zoom functions to experience the many ways to involve meeting or workshop participants. A combination of discussions, chat, polls, drawing or writing on a whiteboard, and more.

Empathy Games with Renee Kalandar

We practiced giving and receiving empathy with games and embodied practices like movement and meditation. Renee’s assistant/co-host was Shanti Tula.

Fun with Coronavirus Math

Understanding how things work is a powerful antidote to feelings of helplessness and can make for interesting conversation! Come explore the ways math is very much involved in the phenomenon of the Covid-19 pandemic. We’ll do the math together with pencil paper and minimal props.

Math-neophytes and math-phobics especially welcome!

Play and Improv with Howard Moody

The games you love… on Zoom. Howard took full advantage of breakout rooms to bring the intimacy of in-person to a class with more than 50 people. 

Song and Joke swap - Two sections - one with Jacquie Adain and a second with Betsy and Reed

Each participant was invited to ‘lead’ a song from Rise Up Singing preceded by telling a joke. Others were encouraged to sing along while muted. This class was as close to singing together as you will get in 2020. Everyone is looking forward to 2021 when we can (hopefully) join our voices together again.

The Write Stuff with Beverly Pincus

If you can write you can WRITE! In this playshop we will start with original exercises to stimulate creativity and break through writing blocks. We will then write what we know best: the stories of our lives. In a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment we will share these stories aloud with each other. There will also be an optional opportunity to share our stories with the larger ECRS community in a special New Year’s Eve showcase.

Theater Games and Improv with Robin Bady

Stretch your imagination as you create and play with improvisation games and dramatics! We’ll work in large groups, smaller groups, and sometimes solo. See how to succeed at improv scenes, costumes pieces and “enter and leave the stage” games – and have lots of fun!

Dances from the World to You with Patricia Williams

Learn a selection of line and solo dances from around the world, chosen for fun and do-ability on Zoom. The two hour-long classes will each cover separate material.

Parlour Games with Jacquie Adain

Experience a variety of Zoom friendly, interactive games, possibly including Boggle, scavenger hunt (plus an extension), ‘draw-what-I-describe’, observation in a ‘box’, this is a pencil, charades, 2 truths and a lie, mime rhyme, geography, and more.

Dictionary with Jacquie Adain

Real words; definitions of unusual or rarely used words – veracious or fallacious.  You pen a definition, funny or factual, and present it to the group to decide which is true. Bring your imagination and a few unusual words of your own and be prepared to ridere. Come enjoy this ECRS late-night games favorite – with a twist (i.e. Zoom).

Dance! Dance! with J.P. McDevitt

Let’s experiment with some new dances, with Zoom in mind. We’ll do some that fit into the traditional ECRS dance format – and perhaps some outside the box!

Virtual Fall Fest 2020


October 11, 2020 – 4:15 to 6:15 pm EDT

Where: on Zoom! in your living room!

Three class offerings (Dance! Dictionary! Laughter Yoga!) plus group activities before and after.

 

Saturday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Saturday, August 29 – 9:30 – 10:30 am EDT
Theme: Wear your favorite funky hat… or really anything that will sit on your head!

 

Dog Days of Summer (mid-week after-dinner virtual social)


Wednesday, August 19 – 7:30 – 8:30 pm EDT
After going around to check in and see how everyone has been, we broke into smaller groups to chat. So much fun!!

 

Summer 2020 Virtual Ice Cream Socials


July 28th and 30th, 2020

7:00 – 9:00 EDT on Zoom
Grab a bowl of your favorite ice cream flavor and join us for taste of ECRS. We’ll start with a half hour group program (think Evening Program), then open it up for you to wander in beteen themed breakout rooms… Connect and play with your ECRS family!

Virtual Camp Onas


June 13, 2020 on Zoom
Following the success of our Virtual Play Party, we held a three-hour ECRS extravaganza on the Saturday of our traditional Camp Onas Weekend. With three period of three classes each to choose from, plus a rousing group activity at the beginning, there was something for everyone.

Intro Program (Julie Lipson)

MC (Isaac Lebwohl-Steiner)

Joy of Movement
Judi Powers and Marko Schmale

 

 

 

Paper Crafts
Jacquie Adain

Gardening Reflections
Kim Neubauer

How of Happiness
Trevor Smith

 

 

 

Charades
David Geron-Neubauer

Informal Dramatics
Robin Bady

Solo Scenes
Glenn Lebwohl-Steiner

 

 

 

Writing from the Heart
Beverly Pincus

Dance
J.P. McDevitt 

In-person Events (pre-pandemic)

Winter Adventure 2019


December 27, 2019 – January 1, 2020 at Watson Homestead

ECRS Winter Adventure is a creative, joyous and alternative holiday experience. We offer an array of classes that are conveniently scheduled, allowing for breaks and free time when participants can relax or offer their own recreational activities. Three tasty, nutritious, buffet-style meals are served daily. At night, we gather for singing, cooperative games, dancing and special theme nights, followed by a refreshing snack. The week culminates in our welcoming the New Year with song, dance, and ceremony. We’re also ideally situated for winter sports and local attractions, including sledding, hiking, and the nearby Corning Museum of Glass.

Four day classes

The Art of the Crankie | Folk Dancing (with practice teaching) | Improv Adventure | Small Scenes
Woodcarving – Discovering the Potential Within

Two-day minis

Active Games | Art and Mindfulness | Artful Affirmation Cards | Building Better Groups | Conscious Communication | Food, Glorious Food | Informal Dramatics | Joy of Singing | Laughter Wellness | Percussion Circle | Personal Stories | Story Theater

Camp Onas (Youth-led) Weekend


June 7-9, 2019 Ottsville, Pennsylvania

We’re excited this year to highlight our young (or young adult, really) leaders at Camp Onas 2019. We know that they will bring energy and originality to the weekend.

Newcomers and ECRS veterans alike will enjoy the chance to focus on a theme in daytime classes – whether dancing, singing, informal dramatics, crafts, or games. Then at Evening Program everyone comes together as a community to dance, sing, play games, and socialize over snacks.

Experimenting with Dance | Hat Games | Games with Paper and Pencils | Late Night Dances | Crafts

Road Trip Games | Mindfullness | Improv | Active Games | Pool Games


Spring Focus on Play (Leadership) Weekend


March 22-24, 2019 at Black Rock Retreat Center, Quarysville, PA

A weekend of creative and fun community building, with an  intensive play leadership training option offered by recreation leader expert Howard Moody. An advanced trainer in social emotional learning approaches, Howard led 10 hours of play leadership training for professionals who use recreation in their work. Ideal for teachers, youth group counselors, recreation therapists, facilitators, and anyone interested in building relational trust with groups. All attendees were invited to take part in games offered as part of the formal Play Leadership training track.

Play leadership trainingan educational consultant and advanced trainer for the Nurtured Heart Approach, Howard will facilitate ten hours of training for those looking to expand their skills in recreation leadership. Click here for more information on Howard Moody and the recreational leadership training track at the Spring Weekend.

Informal Dramatics | Singing Out Loud | Folk Dancing | Quiet Games

Bubble Printing | Active Games | Line Dancing | Exploring the Spring Outside


Winter Adventure 2018


December 27, 2018 – January 1, 2019 at Watson Homestead

ECRS Winter Adventure is a creative, joyous and alternative holiday experience. We offer an array of classes that are conveniently scheduled, allowing for breaks and free time when participants can relax or offer their own recreational activities. Three tasty, nutritious, buffet-style meals are served daily. At night, we gather for singing, cooperative games, dancing and special theme nights, followed by a refreshing snack. The week culminates in our welcoming the New Year with song, dance, and ceremony. We’re also ideally situated for winter sports and local attractions, including sledding, hiking, and the nearby Corning Museum of Glass.

Four day classes

Adventure Games Theater | Collage journey Books | Folk Dancing (with practice teaching) | Play Leadership Training (The “How Tos” of Becoming an Effective Play Leader) | Small Scenes

Two-day minis

Active Games | Art and Mindfulness | BeatleSing | Drum Circle | Improv | Joy of Dance and Movement | Live With the End in Mind | Safe Conversations | Light Catcher Mobiles | Song Parodies | String and Swing


Fall One Day in Philly


October 6, 2018 at Collenbrook United Church, Drexel Hill, PA

Singing, Folk Dancing, Non-Competitive Games, Beading, and Dramatics and a potluc dinner are just a few of the activities featured in this FREE “One Day In Town” event.

Virtual Events (i.e. Zoom-related) FAQs

What if I'm really new to Zoom?

We’ve had four five successful events with many people who hadn’t used the Zoom platform before. We’ve been capturing the hiccups and improving with each event.

You can join a few minutes early, if you want some one-on-one help getting set up. And you can download these tips and tricks.

Can I share a device?

You’ll be limited to one class at a time per device, and you’ll probably have a better experience if you’re on your own device – especially for the breakout rooms. But, hey, what do we know? It can be nice to hook your laptop up to display on the TV. inthe living room so everyone can join in the dancing fun!

Can I join on my phone?

It depends on the class. Some use breakout rooms, which don’t work on a phone or tablet. You’ll be able to see more friendly faces with a laptop or desktop. Reach out to allie@ecrs.org with your specific class or group activity queston. It’s only an hour! Come and see!

How do breakout rooms work? I've never used them!

Many classes use breakout rooms to personalize the Zoom experience. It’s a lot easier to talk when there are only a few of you. After some class periods, you may bbe able to mingle with people in breakout rooms.

Either way, it will happen like magic! You won’t have to do anything, as our tech-savvy staff and their elves take care of all those details for you. Once you’re there, you can stay and chat with whoever else is there. Or you can move to a different room. You’ll be able to see all the rooms and who’s in them.

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